


You're my head start, you're my rugged heart

by Miyukitty



Series: Xander Laslow Week 2016 [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Childhood Memories, Friendship, Lesbian Character, Married Couple, Multi, No Deeprealms, Parenthood, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest, Sappy Ending, Surrogacy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Xanlow Week 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-17 12:05:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8143312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miyukitty/pseuds/Miyukitty
Summary: Xander's hand settled comfortingly on his shoulder, grounding him. He leaned into his husband's touch with a sigh of contentedness. Today, he and Xander became fathers.Laslow wondered if he'd ever be half as good a parent as Olivia had been to him. Gods, would he ever try.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Xanlow Week 2016 Day 2: family
> 
> post-conquest futurefic with a flashback to awakening, featuring close friend of the couple severa/selena. :3 
> 
> if you don't like babies, fair warning there is a baby soleil in this! most of the time I'm happiest to have my favorite gay couples adopt pets as their children, but this is my "screw you, babyrealms" fix as well as my headcanon for soleil's feminist mom haha. bring on the sap~

 

The first time Inigo kissed Severa, she gave him a bloody nose.

 

To be fair, they were both five years old, and Inigo had just learned that morning that a kiss was meant for someone you like. The sunny child had run around from friend to friend at Lucina's birthday party that afternoon, beaming smiles and pressing sticky kisses to everyone's cheeks.

 

Cynthia and Owain squealed and gave chase, determined to return the kisses tenfold. Brady hid under the table with Lucina standing guard. Olivia cooed about how cute his new habit was, Maribelle and Lissa laughed, and the mothers returned to their tea, letting the Ylissean children play on the grass.

 

Then there was a scream, and abruptly Inigo was on his rump, wailing at the top of his lungs.

 

Olivia rushed him home in her arms, delicately washed away his blood and his tears, and applied a vulnerary for the pain. She stroked his hair and sang to him to calm him down, and carefully explained that even if kisses were a nice thing, not everyone wanted them, and that was okay.

 

Inigo clung to her, whimpering, for the rest of the afternoon.

 

That evening Cordelia flew by with little Severa in tow. Inigo watched from the doorway with frightened brown eyes wide as Olivia and Cordelia exchanged apologies to the tune of "I don't know what came over her, she's always been so polite and well-behaved" and "He means well, but I think I confused him so it's really my fault, I'm so sorry if we caused you trouble".

 

Severa listlessly recited her own insincere apology, bowing to Inigo with her little fists balled at her sides. He watched her, not entirely convinced she wasn't going to hurt him again.

 

Then, once their mothers were satisfied the incident was resolved, she leaned in close.

 

"Not sorry I hit you," she muttered. Inigo was too scared to protest, tears welling up in his eyes again.

 

He could never forget the way Severa stared him down proudly when she announced, "Boys are gross. I hate you."

 

* * *

 

 

The last time Inigo kissed Severa – no, it was Laslow now, and she was Selena – he could never have predicted the winding paths their lives took that brought them to that moment. He thought not of war, separation, and heartbreak, but of the funny games the fates liked to play with them, surprising him at every turn. Somehow, he'd beaten the odds stacked against him and found happiness, worlds away from everything he'd known.

 

Laslow pressed his lips softly to Selena's forehead, where her damp bangs were plastered to her skin. She barely stirred, fading into exhaustion. Still, she mustered the energy to flash him a proud but weary smirk. He gave a watery smile back as he failed to blink back his tears.

 

Xander's hand settled comfortingly on his shoulder, grounding him. He leaned into his husband's touch with a sigh of contentedness. Today, he and Xander became fathers.

 

The infant was swaddled and slumbering in Selena's arms, but as Laslow sniffled and whimpered in a most undignified display of emotion, Selena sighed and pushed the bundle gently into his arms.

 

"Quit staring. At least hold her, you big softie," Selena huffed.

 

Xander rubbed his shoulders as Laslow cradled their daughter. _Their_ _daughter_. He didn't think this would ever be a possibility for him. He had a _child_.

 

He wondered if he'd ever be half as good a parent as Olivia had been to him. Gods, would he ever try. When that memory of Lucina's sixth birthday popped into his head, Laslow couldn't hide a bittersweet smile.

 

"So beautiful… I wonder if she'll think boys are gross, like her mother used to," Laslow murmured, stroking a wisp of familiar red hair.

 

Selena snorted. "Still does," she corrected. "You're the grossest of all. And with any luck, she'll keep you both on your toes. She's strong. You boys have got your work cut out for you."

 

Xander cleared his throat awkwardly. "You're… certain about this arrangement, Selena? There would be no repercussions should you go back on your word. Laslow and I would both forgive you," the king promised solemnly.

 

His grip tightened on Laslow's shoulders, betraying his nerves.

 

Selena closed her eyes and sank back into the bed.

 

"Yeah, I'm sure, I told you over and over already," she said flippantly. "I'm not what you call mommy material. There's too much pressure to be… perfect. Being a parent isn't something I want for myself, even if I do settle down and have a wife someday, you know? I'll leave all that domestic stuff to you saps. But…"

 

Laslow glanced up, his heart in his throat. Xander leaned in, wrapping his arms reassuringly around his king consort and daughter. There was no one else in the private chamber, the midwife Cassita having been dismissed, and the rest of the family banned from visitation until Selena allowed it. It was a quiet night, the castle halls deserted.

 

Satisfied that she would not be overheard, Selena relaxed, cracking one eye open as she added in a conspirator's whisper. "You guys… deserve this. I want you both to be happy. Okay? And when I go home… I'll tell everyone there about her, too. That I'm proud I brought a little light from our homeland to shine in Nohr after I'm gone."

 

Laslow's composure finally broke. His face crumpled into tears, nose running. "I ruh, ruh, really do love you, suh, suh, Selena," he sobbed.

 

Xander carefully rescued the baby from Laslow's shaking arms and cradled her against his broad chest. To her credit, the infant slept on, blissfully unaware that one of her fathers was bawling uncontrollably. Already she seemed unflappable.

 

"Selena… truly, there are no words to express our gratitude for what you've done for us," Xander spoke around the lump in his throat.

 

"Ugh, you're both so embarrassing," Selena mumbled, turning her face into the pillow. "I just told you, I wanted to do this. No thanks required or wanted. Just don't screw this up, okay?"

 

"Very well," Xander amended, a small smile playing on his lips. "I know this is not exactly a conventional start to our family, but… we are a family now, thanks to you. If you require anything at all, you need only ask."

 

"Whatever," Selena muttered in a very small voice, blush creeping in her cheeks.

 

Laslow scrubbed at his eyes, trying unsuccessfully to stem his tears throughout the conversation. He couldn't wrap his mind around the truth that he was a father now. Somehow, it was all real. One day he would teach her how to walk, and perhaps how to dance; he would spin her fairytales about chosen children who leapt through time to smite a fell dragon, and when she was old enough, stories about the heroic grandparents from a land she would never see.

 

She would be raised a proud princess of Nohr, daughter of King Xander, and want for nothing.

 

"Little light, little sunshine," he cooed to the child in Xander's arms. Xander bent obligingly so that Laslow could kiss her round apple cheeks. She stirred, lips curving into a tiny smile at his touch.

 

Laslow swore to himself he would do everything he could to give her a good life, to keep her far from war, and to keep that smile on her face. And he knew his husband would do the same.

 

"You're my sunny little girl… my Soleil."

**Author's Note:**

> (reminder that xander actually has experience raising kids and is much better at this than the weepy loser <3 ~~lassie cries more than the infant.~~ i specifically wanted soleil born first bc sieg would have a different surrogate, but. siegbert and soleil as siblings!! )
> 
> :) feel free to yell at me on twitter @magepaw


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